Rebirth Revenge Is Everything (Ariana) novel Chapter 523

At the White Corporation, a board meeting was in session.

Gilbert sat at the head of the table, his expression icy and unreadable.

The boardroom wasn’t packed, but it wasn’t empty either—eight or nine members were present.

No one dared to speak first.

Until—

Nicholas White cast a mocking glance at his elder brother, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Chairman," he began, his tone dripping with feigned concern, "The White Group has suffered repeated setbacks recently, and our stock value is nowhere near what it used to be. Yet, Ariana still hasn’t returned. So, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to propose revoking her status as the heir to the White Group, is it?"

Indeed, that was the main topic of today’s meeting.

Despite the heavy blows the White Group had endured, it remained one of the largest conglomerates in the city, with assets worth around twenty billion. Naturally, everyone coveted a piece of it.

Originally, Gilbert had declared that Ariana would succeed him as the head of the corporation.

He had even brought her into the company to gain experience.

At the time, Nicholas had been far from pleased, but what could he do? She was Gilbert’s daughter—the rightful first heir. More importantly, she was undeniably capable. In just a short time after joining the company, she had proven her worth, bringing substantial profits to the White Group.

He had thought it was all over for him—that he’d never get his chance.

After all, his niece was ruthlessly competent.

But then, the tides had turned.

Who would’ve guessed that old fool Gilbert would sabotage his own legacy? Though no one knew exactly what had happened between him and his daughter, it wasn’t hard to piece together the gist of it.

For instance, when Jane joined the company,

Nicholas immediately recognized his opportunity. Yet he bided his time, neither revealing his intentions nor taking action until Jane’s espionage pushed the company to the brink. Though the White Group eventually weathered the storm, the chairman’s authority had plummeted ever since.

After that, Ariana never set foot in the company again.

And that became the final straw for Gilbert. Though he struggled to hold on, his efforts were futile.

The White Group… would ultimately belong to him.

At this thought, a ruthless glint of ambition flashed in Nicholas’s eyes, unsettling to behold.

Gilbert’s expression darkened. He cast a cold glance at his younger brother and stated flatly, "Ariana remains the heir of the White Group."

Nicholas smirked. "What a joke. Has Ariana even stepped into the company? Are you seriously planning to hand the White Group over to an outsider with no experience here? I don’t doubt her competence, but she’s publicly aligned herself with the Stone family now. The chances of her returning are slim. For the sake of the White Group’s future, I hope the chairman can provide a satisfactory answer. After all, the interests of all of us board members are at stake. None of us wants someone who only knows theory at the helm. If the White Group collapses, we all lose."

The other board members exchanged uneasy glances. Though they privately agreed with Nicholas, none dared to speak up.

After all, Gilbert still had a daughter married into the Stone family.

They weren’t privy to the details, but what if siding with Nicholas provoked Ariana into retaliating in defense of her father? Ariana herself wasn’t the concern—no matter how capable she was, without a company to back her, she’d be powerless. The real problem was that she *did* have a company—

His expression darkened slightly—clearly, he hadn't considered this angle before. In his mind, Ariana, now married into the Stone family, would naturally look down on White Corporation. Otherwise, why hadn't she visited even once in all this time?

But now, it seemed he might have miscalculated.

If that were the case, he'd need to rethink his strategy. The last thing he wanted was for that girl to suddenly take her father's side and turn against him.

...

That evening, Gilbert returned to the White family estate.

As he stepped out of the car, he paused and stared in silence at the dazzling grandeur of the White residence before him, a deep and unreadable emotion flickering in his eyes.

It had been nearly two years since Ariana had last set foot in this house.

The thought of the strained relationship between his wife and daughter made his headache worse.

With a weary sigh, Gilbert trudged slowly toward the mansion. He intended to discuss the day’s board meeting with his wife. Though he rarely brought up business matters with her—she had little understanding of such things—this concerned the next heir of the White family. It was a conversation they needed to have.

But just as he was about to step through the front door, he suddenly heard laughter from inside.

Clearly, it was the sound of women’s voices.

Gilbert froze for a moment before a surge of hope rose in his chest—could it be that his daughter had finally come home?